Happy Jack eBook

“You did that purposely!” screamed Chatterer,
his short temper flaring up.

“I didn’t!” snapped Happy Jack.

“You did!”

“I didn’t!”

Oh, dear, oh, dear, such a sight! two little Squirrels,
one in a gray suit and one in a red suit, contradicting
each other and calling names! It was such a sad,
sad sight, for you know they were cousins.

CHAPTER II

THE QUARREL

It’s up to you and up
to me
To see how thrifty we can
be.
To do our bit like soldiers
true
It’s up to me and up
to you.

Happy Jack.

Two angry little people were making a dreadful noise
in the Green Forest. It was a beautiful morning,
a very beautiful fall morning, but all the beauty
of it was being spoiled by the dreadful noise these
two little people. You see they were quarreling.
Yes, Sir, they were quarreling, and it wasn’t
at all nice to see or nice to hear.

You know who they were. One was Happy Jack Squirrel,
who wears a coat of gray, and the other was Chatterer
the Red Squirrel, who always wears a red coat with
vest of white. When Happy Jack had dropped that
nut from the tiptop of the tall hickory tree and it
had landed right on top of Chatterer’s head
it really had been an accident. All the time Happy
Jack had been sitting as still as still could be,
hoping that his cousin Chatterer would pass by without
looking up and so seeing the big fat nuts in the top
of that tree. You see Happy Jack was greedy and
wanted all of them himself. Now Chatterer the
Red Squirrel has a sharp temper, and also he has sharp
eyes. All the time he was scolding Happy Jack
and calling him names Chatterer’s bright eyes
were taking note of all those big, fat hickory-nuts
and his mouth began to water. Without wasting
any more time he started up the tree to get some.

Happy Jack grew very angry, very angry indeed.
He hurried down to meet Chatterer the Red Squirrel
and to prevent him climbing the tree.

“You keep out of this tree; it’s mine!”
he shrieked.

“No such thing! You don’t own the
tree and I’ve got just as much right here as
you have!” screamed Chatterer, dodging around
to the other side of the tree.

“’Tis, too, mine! I found it first!”
shouted Happy Jack. “You’re a thief,
so there!”

“I’m not!”

“You are!”

“You’re a pig, Happy Jack! You’re
just a great big pig!”

“I’m not a pig! I found these nuts
first and I tell you they’re mine!” shrieked
Happy Jack, so angry that every time he spoke he jerked
his tail. And all the time he was chasing round
and round the trunk of the tree trying to prevent
Chatterer getting up.